Semiconductor processing typically involves the fabrication, patterning and processing of individual layers of material to impart unique electrical properties to those layers. The size and complexity of many modern semiconductor devices renders the design process both time consuming and costly and, once implemented, each new design may be subjected to optimization and qualification steps, which are also time consuming and costly.
One common processing task that contributes to expense is via and post processing. Because such processing typically is performed on an intermediate semiconductor layer, liquid chemicals are typically used as part of the processing step, so as to permit penetration to and processing of non-surface layers of the semiconductor being processed. The use of liquid chemicals can require care to avoid unintended reaction of the chemicals with other layers of the semiconductor, and the use of excess chemicals can also affect the timing and cost of optimizing a design.
A need exists for a way of speeding up the design, optimization and qualification tasks of semiconductor manufacture. A need also exists for a method that reduces the cost associated with these processes. Still further, a need exists for a semiconductor processing method that minimizes the quantity of liquid chemicals that may be needed in these processing tasks, and maximizes the effectiveness of those chemicals. Ideally such a solution would have application not only to the design, optimization and qualification phases of semiconductor design, but to commercial fabrication processes as well. The present invention satisfies these needs and provides further, related advantages.